A four-wheel drive car is now taken for granted: all-wheel drive, allegedly, provide great safety on the road and self-confidence. That is why, if there is money, we buy all-wheel drive crossovers for ourselves and for our wives. However, there are quite a few all-wheel drive systems, even in the first approximation, and they are fundamentally different from each other.
When choosing a car and aiming for “all-wheel drive”, you need to have a very good idea of where and why the car will be used. Probably, 90% of buyers are not going to move off the normal road into forests, fields, as well as climb mountains and cross fords. Why do you need a car with all-wheel drive? Firstly, it gives confidence in the rain on a slippery road; secondly, they buy a car with an eye to long winter operation; finally, with all-wheel drive it is easier to get off the asphalt and drive half a kilometer to the dacha on a dirt road and over bumps.
The simplest thing to remember and then close this article: the above three tasks are completely solved by a car with a drive on only one axle. It is desirable, however, that it be with a manual transmission. Well, more clearance would be nice.
Let's say this solution to the problem does not satisfy you. Then the second consideration: an all-wheel drive crossover is not at all equal to a real SUV. The wheels of these cars are set in motion, let's say, in fundamentally different ways. And third: yes, the indicated need for all-wheel drive can be met by buying a crossover. It’s just that you don’t need to travel on real off-road on such a car. And on the road - do not get carried away with speed.
So, how is the all-wheel drive of the crossover arranged in general terms. Almost always you drive such a car in ... mono-drive mode, only one axle works for movement. Most often - the front, because almost all not too expensive crossovers are built on the platforms of conventional hatchbacks. Four-wheel drive appears only in a situation of slipping of the drive wheels - this moment is recognized by the electronics, which connects the second axle to help. Slip in this case does not mean that you stand still and grind the asphalt for a long time - we are talking literally about milliseconds. It is unlikely that the buyer is interested in technology, let's just say that the transfer of torque between the axles - and it is dynamically distributed at every moment of time - is handled by a special clutch. This device itself can have a different design.
Now about off-road abilities: if the scheme is fully consistent with the description above, there are practically none. To overcome the minimum off-road, you have to "hang" additional functionality. For example, the clutch is given the ability to partially or completely block. The methods may be different, but, again, most often this is in charge of electronics. Also, a self-locking differential or a viscous coupling can be used in the design.
Why is blocking necessary? A free clutch (or free differential) will prevent the car from moving if one of the wheels completely loses traction. And blocking will make spinning the wheel that is still able to pull you out. In this case, the clutch overheats very quickly, so you won’t be able to slip with such a system for a long time.
As with any design, there are many nuances. The main one is that the clutch in the advanced automatic all-wheel drive can work according to a preventive algorithm, without waiting for the wheels to slip. Here, a small percentage of torque will always be supplied to the second axle. In other words, you really get permanent four-wheel drive! This is how Audi systems with Torsen differential work, as well as, for example, some BMWs or Mercedes-Benz.
We repeat: almost all crossovers and all-wheel drive cars have this type of all-wheel drive. Pros: indeed, the car gives some confidence on slippery roads. Cons: This same confidence can lead you to choose the wrong speed for driving in difficult conditions. The result may be a curb. Also because the nature of such a car in a turn - will it be inclined at this dangerous moment to drift or skid, or will it be neutral - is quite difficult to predict. As well as to give the car "off-road", controllability is improved with the help of electronics - the main auxiliary system here is ESP.
Now - about off-road all-wheel drive. Here the second axle is connected manually by the driver. On the way, you drive on a monodrive, and if you need to move to some problematic area, you turn on the full one yourself. There is no inter-axle differential, so the locking of one of the inter-wheel differentials must be present. And, of course, all-wheel drive with such a scheme must be immediately turned off on the road - it is not designed to work at high speeds.
Finally, a classic of the genre - an honest four-wheel drive. Ideally, these are not just three differentials - an interaxle and two interwheels, but also a downshift and all locks. And, of course, auxiliary electronics. With such a set of properties, the car, indeed, can both stand on the road and overcome impassability.
Separately, we mention extremely advanced systems: for example, Mitsubishi's Super Select allows you to choose from many modes of all-wheel drive, one that is suitable for both track and off-road. Some Jeep models can be ordered with significantly different types of all-wheel drive. Finally, the systems in the Subaru Impreza WRX STi or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution are each worthy of a separate large article.
A long time ago, mankind lived at a time when the phone was for making calls, and they drove cars. But such absurdities of antiquity have sunk into oblivion and the phone has evolved into a smartphone, and the car has ceased to be just a means of transportation.
A lot of gasoline has been burned since that time, and marketers systematically add fuel to the fire of endless human needs. It is they who drive the progress of the automotive industry, relegating engineers to the role of executors of consumer fantasies, often ignoring rationality and even common sense.
Mercantile interest encourages the manufacturer not only to capture all sorts of, sometimes bordering on idiocy, trends in consumer demand, but also to actively inspire a lot of stereotypes and images in society. One of these trends can be safely called the progressive fashion for crossovers.
Are they as good as managers sing about them in their praises, or, on the contrary, stupid as conservative people with traditional tastes see them?
Are marketers trying to sell us something slightly different from the usual station wagon, at the price of manna from heaven?
Which body should the head of the family choose without biting his nails to the elbows, and reasonably get out of a terrible dilemma?
You will read about this and more in this article.
Where did crossovers come from?
Crossover is not a term for a body type of off-road vehicle, as many people think. This definition means simply mixing different styles, types, trends in something. In this case, people are used to calling lightweight SUVs, which are cheaper than their full-size counterparts, a crossover. The people also call them "SUVs".
But here lies the catch. So called "parquet SUVs" in most cases, they went not from the conquerors of the Dakar, but from family and unpretentious hatchbacks and station wagons. The most popular crossovers among the people are built on the basis of golf-class passenger cars with all the ensuing consequences of such a relationship. SUVs often have a common platform, suspension and even power units with them.
From a practical point of view, the SUV is designed for utilitarian daily use for family purposes, carrying small loads, pets, children, mothers-in-law and seedlings, without driving the owner into confusion at the thought of refueling, parking and, most importantly, road defects. Yes Yes! We are talking about the road, at least dirt, but the road. Crossovers are generally not ready for off-road testing, and more on that later.
King of parquet
Make no mistake, the hybrid does not dance very well, but the surface structure of the parquet reflects well the off-road potential of the SUV. Real frame SUVs with indestructible suspension elements and real all-wheel drive are designed for extreme driving conditions and are far from fools, realizing that miracles do not happen and the light suspension design has no right to life outside of any road. All the joy of a crossover driver is limited to conquering city curbs and forcing shallow puddles.
The ground clearance of urban "jeeps" is usually around 20 cm, which is enough to forget about the fear of running into a stone, a speed bump or leaving a piece of a bumper somewhere on the curb.
In the vast majority of cases, the main thrust of the crossover falls on the front axle, and the all-wheel drive connected by electronics “wakes up” the rear wheels in those cases when it already understood for sure that with its inactivity it buried the car to the very belly. Of course, some auto giants offer their customers, coupled with a fashionable body, and sophisticated assistance systems that seem to even anticipate how deep the puddle lies ahead. But such tandems are not at all childish.
To a greater extent, the presence of electronic assistants and all-wheel drive, albeit automatically connected, instills decent confidence in the owner of the SUV and insures well in a swamp, snow, sand and salt porridge. In most cases, all-wheel drive in the city and on public roads is not needed at all. The nice thing is that almost all light crossovers can be purchased with a single drive, while reducing the cost of buying a car itself, fuel and maintenance. The choice is up to the consumer.
Crossovers and our roads
Correctly say those who believe that the suspension for our destinations has not yet been invented. Crossover suspension is no exception. She migrated to them from their compact and undersized golf-class donors, which, to put it mildly, were not designed for off-piste and city driving.
If you look at the technical documentation of all compact crossovers sold on the market, you can easily draw conclusions about their driving performance. All polls have MacPherson strut front suspension. Rear on SUVs usually stands multi-link or double-link suspension. You can rarely see a torsion beam at the back.
The double-wishbone suspension and beam are reliable, but not very comfortable. The multi-link system provides a good ride and dampens small bumps in the road, giving riders decent comfort, but, due to the not-so-primitive layout of the elements, it is more demanding to maintain. Such suspensions do not create special problems in maintenance and repair.
It is worth noting that, unlike hatches, sedans and station wagons, SUVs are much higher and, accordingly, have a higher center of gravity. To keep the handling performance of such machines normal, engineers are forced to tune the suspension with an emphasis on stiffness, which usually negatively affects the smoothness of the ride.
The rigidity of the suspension makes driving on rough roads a very unpleasant experience. Do not be surprised if the crossover turns out to be an order of magnitude stiffer than the car on the basis of which it is built.
Crossover as a family station wagon
As already mentioned, the station wagon is the ancestor of the SUV, and it was all-wheel drive station wagons that were originally called crossovers. Today, the global auto industry almost does not offer such cars, and if it does off-road versions of the produced station wagons, then this is often the prerogative of premium segment manufacturers and the prices for such a product are disproportionately high. In addition, all-wheel drive station wagons are mostly found only in the D and E classes.
Over the past five years, there has been a tendency to return the outlines of crossovers to their origins and bring them closer to the image of family station wagons. So, Honda CR-V, one of the leaders in the segment, has already “dropped” to the level of 16 cm. This is already the clearance of a conventional car for driving on a road with improved coverage. But Honda experts say that this is quite enough, which is confirmed by practice. The same metamorphosis occurs with Mitsubishi Outlander, which looks more like a family station wagon than a brutal SUV.
It is not strange, because car manufacturers have seen that buyers of SUVs almost do not use the off-road qualities of their iron horses. And they don't need them either. The consumer rather pays attention to the convenience of loading luggage, boarding and disembarking, handling, smoothness and, of course, fuel economy. In most cases, a person just needs a full-size solid car, which is not ashamed to be shown to neighbors, and which can be driven every day, whether for shopping or for work.
Sedan hatchback or crossover?
Is a sedan or hatchback a full-fledged alternative to SUV? It's not the same for everybody. It is especially difficult to answer in relation to people who, first of all, honor the image, and not practicality. But in the light of practicality, only a station wagon seems to be the only suitable option from passenger cars to compare with a crossover. We will try to try it on instead of the SUV.
The ground clearance of station wagons fluctuates slightly at the level of 14-15 cm, which is quite enough in most cases that occur on the road, but the off-road path for such a car is ordered. No need to make a god out of two centimeters. A trip along an imperfect country road will not turn into anything terrible for you and your car.
The trunk of station wagons and SUVs equally pampers with an outstanding space of 500 liters of usable volume, plus the transformation of the rear seats. The overall length of the station wagon body is on average equal to the length of most crossovers (4400-4600 mm). The curb weight of SUVs is mainly at the level of 1500-1600 kg, and station wagons - 1400 kg. The latter also have better aerodynamics and downforce, which improves handling and reduces fuel consumption by the station wagon.
The most interesting part of the comparison is the pricing policy. Station wagons, on the basis of which more expensive crossovers are built, are not just cheaper. Their cost is often lower than the cost of a similar SUV of the same brand by 30%! Based on simple mathematical calculations, a sane person will seriously think about the advisability of buying a "mini-jeep" and will try to weigh the pros and cons of such an acquisition.
Instead of a conclusion
Perhaps you were hoping to read at the end of the article a specific guide to action like “buy this or not buy it” and the notorious “choice is yours” will upset you a little, but, alas, you won’t order your heart and no advice here will help. If you want and can, then so be it. Life is given only once and the idea of a crossover has its own rational grain and, thank God, there is plenty to choose from.
At the same time, having bought a station wagon without increased ground clearance, all-wheel drive and jeeper landing, you can also enjoy the full life of a motorist, driving your household and slobbery St. Bernard across the vast expanses of our lands, gently stroking a wad of money reasonably saved when buying a new family car. Good luck everyone!
Still not sure if you really need to buy a crossover? We will give the 5 most common reasons why people buy crossovers, and whether they are objective or not, convincing or mean nothing - of course, it's up to you to decide.
So, 5 reasons why you should buy a crossover:
Reason #5
Crossovers are capable of towing more cargo, coupled with increased space in the cabin for passengers. Many crossovers are capable of towing trailers weighing up to 3 tons, and almost all SUVs can accommodate 5 passengers, and some even have a third row of seats, allowing seven riders to sit in the cabin.
Reason #4
People believe that an SUV is safer than a car because it is bigger and supposedly more durable. I must say that this is true and confirmed by statistics from American researchers published in 2011: for a million owners of crossovers and SUVs of 2005-2008, only 28 deaths of drivers in accidents occur, while for sedans, hatchbacks and station wagons this figure is 56 deaths (for pickups - 52).
Also, buyers of crossovers appreciate the high seating position of the driver in the car (here you can argue and recall the danger of flipping high cars on the roads, but most manufacturers are seriously working on creating systems that minimize the risk).
Reason #3
A crossover has more cargo capacity and more trunk space than even a station wagon (to be honest, an SUV's trunk can be higher, but in many cases it's not as long as a station wagon).
Reason #2
Drivers appreciate the car's ability to overcome snowy obstacles, which is very often encountered by motorists in Russia in winter (although such an advantage for a crossover will be noticeable only when compared with a rear-wheel drive car, and, most likely, a crossover will not have a serious advantage over an all-wheel drive sedan or front-wheel drive car with proper tires).
Reason #1
It is believed that crossovers have wide off-road capabilities (of course, it is worth noting that, firstly, most modern SUVs will not overcome anything but a low curb in a supermarket parking lot, and secondly, the number of people who actually drive off-road is negligible) .
But actually…
Most people buy crossovers and SUVs just because they can afford it. These cars may not meet the needs of the owner at all, but they fulfill his desire - to have a big, roomy and beautiful car, which, moreover, is safer than the rest. And, of course, an all-wheel drive crossover can save the owner a lot of effort when leaving a snowdrift after a night blizzard.
"Pros" and "cons" of body type.
Any technical products, the main advantage of which is versatility, are woven from compromises. But these compromises do not always mean the success of the implementation of the principle of universality. This fully applies to crossovers.
The emphasis is not on that
Crossovers have been one of the fastest growing segments of the automotive market for many years. It would seem that this type of car should best meet the operating conditions in Russia. With our not always smooth roads - the suit is high ground clearance, and with our slippery winter - that's all-wheel drive. But in fact, it turns out that we use all these opportunities only a few times a year. And the opportunities themselves turn out to be completely different from what the intrusive advertising focuses on and what we fell for. Let's figure it out.
Tires
When I have seditious thoughts about buying a crossover, the first thing I think about is … tires. More precisely, about the overpayment that will have to be made in the fall. After all, it is in the fall that we think about buying winter tires. Simple monitoring shows that 205/55R16 tires typical for an average family car are at least one and a half times cheaper than 225/65R17 typical for a crossover. This is first.
Secondly, the coveted all-wheel drive is tempting to buy “quiet” and “comfortable” non-studded tires. Say, the same “magic” all-wheel drive will allow you not to slip on slippery surfaces and on the so-called “friction” tires. Partly it is. But when braking, all this all-wheel drive is not involved in any way. And the nature of braking practically does not depend on the type of drive. So - spikes, as usual, are preferable.
Fuel consumption
Here again, nowhere is more eloquent. The crossover "eats" much more than the family "passenger car". First of all, because it is corny heavier. In addition, as we wrote earlier, the drive shafts in most crossovers always remain connected to the wheels. And even in 2WD mode, they continue to spin and require additional power from the engine for their promotion. Which can be taken only by spending extra fuel.
But that's not all. The crossover is more voracious on the track. After all, the area of its frontal projection is a priori larger than that of a “passenger car”. And the drag coefficient is usually higher. Accordingly, you need to push a much larger mass of air ahead of you. Which at speeds over a "hundred" takes away the lion's share of the engine power.
Resource of units and assemblies
The vast majority of modern crossovers are made on the basis of any purely passenger models (and there are vanishingly few exceptions such as the Land Rover Freelander). And the crossovers use the same engines and transmissions as the "donors". Obviously, these motors and gearboxes will work in a more loaded mode. As a result, a smaller resource and a higher probability of not only a breakdown, but also a “simple” overheating. Which also leads to breakdowns, only larger and more expensive. And let's not forget about the temptation to use all-wheel drive on "off-road", where the load on components and assemblies increases many times over.
Dreams of all-wheel drive
Almost all modern crossovers are equipped with all-wheel drive purely nominally. Yes, in the same conditions, for example, a deep puddle on a muddy country road, even a crossover “incomplete” drive will be preferable. But ask yourself a question - how often do you drive through deep puddles on dirt roads after rains? I bet that the average resident of a large city does this once every ten years. Personally, in my 22 years of “passenger” driving life, I have NEVER been stuck in such situations. In winter, with the wrong tactics for overcoming snow-covered sections of secondary roads, yes, I had to call for help a couple of times. But with the same "success" I planted real jeeps. Only they had to be pulled out at much more serious costs.
As for the crossover “all-wheel drive”, then on any more or less frivolous off-road (and we won’t even talk about serious ones), the drive clutch to the second axle will overheat in a few minutes. And the car won't go any further. You can wait until the clutch cools down and restores performance. But even a novice jeeper knows that starting off (or driving “pulled in”) on difficult sections is not at all the same as skipping them.
Any advertisement, where the “merits” of the all-wheel drive of the next crossover are signed, necessarily contains the word “intelligent”. Say, our "intelligent" mega-fancy all-wheel drive super-system is so perfect that it determines what kind of coverage under each wheel and distributes traction accordingly. Firstly, in 98% of cases this is cunning, which in especially neglected cases turns into a blatant lie. If only because it is very difficult and expensive to adequately control traction on each wheel. For "intelligence" is usually responsible for a single electronically controlled clutch, which is "helped" by regular brake mechanisms, slowing down the slipping wheels and redistributing traction through the differential to the other wheel of the axle.
But all this "intelligence" works with lags and inevitable delays. And with these delays, it can be dangerous, especially for an experienced driver who has just completed a crash course. An experienced driver “on the subcortex” will react with gas and steering wheel to a sudden skid on a slippery surface, and it is sewn into the “intelligent” all-wheel drive algorithm that the car is driven by an outright “teapot”. These actions of the driver and the algorithm inevitably collide, ending either in a ditch or in the oncoming lane.
Yes, and in normal modes, the balance of "handling / smoothness" for crossovers is a priori worse than for "passenger cars". Not only a higher center of gravity and a non-optimally located roll center affect, but also a large unsprung mass.
Many fellow citizens have “nailed in” in their heads that four-wheel drive is better than any other. It is not for nothing that even in the current times of crisis, 35% of the country's car market falls to the share, and in the best of times this percentage jumped to 40. Most owners of such cars explain its presence by the urgent need to constantly break through multi-meter snowdrifts, daily force wet primers gouged by timber trucks, as well as describe their feelings of comfort and confidence in the future when starting and driving on slippery winter roads. Usually these people are very surprised and do not believe when you tell them that you connected the “front end” of your frame “crocodile”, maybe a couple of times a year. And even then - somewhere in the suburban mud in the process of going fishing.
And it turns out that it is quite possible to drive around the city on a rear-wheel drive, the main thing is that the tires are good and in season. The average crossover lover has heard something about some electronic systems that live their lives in the bowels of his car. However, he does not realize a simple thing. Exactly the same electronic "brains" would help him start at traffic lights in snowy conditions and in a car with front-wheel drive. And in the same way they would “choke” the motor when slipping in the snow blockage left over from the snowplow. The fact is that all the "differential locks" that allow you to enjoy the benefits of all-wheel drive are not "real".
As a rule, this is just an electronically controlled emulation. It simply slows down the wheel that starts to slip or removes the moment coming from the engine from it, nothing more. This means only one thing: if the obstacle is, in principle, insurmountable for a car with front-wheel drive and normal rubber on wheels, then it is highly not recommended to meddle there. Most likely he will also "sit down" there. Yes, the sane owner of the crossover himself will not climb into such a place. It turns out that the advantages of an all-wheel drive crossover over exactly the same, but front-wheel drive, come down mainly to the inner conviction of its owner. All the same, in 99.99% of cases, the potential advantages of "all-wheel drive" are either not used, or reduced to almost nothing by "smart" electronics.
But the cons are quite material. Firstly, with all-wheel drive, you will have to pay a great extra when buying a car. In different ways, depending on the model and brand of the crossover, but, on average, at least 100,000 rubles “from above”. Then you have to fork out additionally for daily use. An all-wheel drive transmission, by definition, "eats" more power produced by the engine than a two-wheel drive. And this is additional consumption of gasoline. In other words, for a city dweller, complete is pampering, additional expenses and self-deception. In this sense, it is quite possible to take an example from overseas motorists, who quite calmly and en masse use mono-drive versions of all-wheel drive cars.
